i thought that at least someone could put into words a design
technique that they thought was unusual enough to speak of, i
understand that jeweler’s /goldsmith’s techniques at the bench are
better off shown, but in the original posting of this topic, i
really meant design techniques not bench techniques per say, i
should have titled it, design techniques actually, anyway then
this is one of mine, it is to cast multiples of silver models that
i carve from wax, some are 3d some flat, they are all very organic,
sinuous, lineal, abstract looking things, and are all planned to
be parts of specific jewelry pieces, but when i study them and then
choose 2 of the same, put them in my hand close it, then open, and
everytime i close my hand i move them a little in my palm, and
everytime i open it there is a configuration of the 2 pieces, or if
i put them down on a table, there is a configuration, which is how i
noticed this phenomenon to begin with, i would put a few pieces down
on a table, or move one into another by accident, and i would keep
seeing cool looking possibilities of designs whenever pieces sat next
to, or on top of each other, and this happens almost everytime, and
always when i least expected it, so i have to keep a sharp eye out,
each one of these arrays has turned out to be a great design, and
everytime different, and if i do it with 3 of the same, or add a
different 1 or 2, move them slightly as they mix with each other,
there is a beautiful design, can be more 2 dimensional, or 3
dimensional, with flat pieces i do it like puzzles, they lie next
to each other, or i try to build whatever by fitting the pieces
together however i like them,so in each one of these cases, if i
think it’s cool enough, i pick it up and put it on clay or pitch,
which keeps them in position to tack, if they are all polished and
i do this, then i tack them with solder, and they are a new design,
sometimes i solder a ring shank onto the new structure, some bails,
and become pendants, and i saw or grind off unnecessary parts, to
reduce weight, or whatever makes them cumbersome, then i cast the
pieces into new models> new designs, this playing with shapes has
made me so many amazing unusal pieces that it is hard to believe,
but it works, if you don’t believe me, try it you can make 50
pieces of far out jewelry from a few of the same model/ finding,
etc, and if not that, inspiration for many new ones, kind of
like the amount of license plates you can get from a series of
numbers, dave